A federal judge today dismissed the lawsuit filed by seven states attorneys general seeking to block the birth control mandate, the requirement under health reform that all insurance policies provide contraception without a co-pay.

The fight against birth control coverage smacks of theocratic thinking – the notion that government ought to be ruled by or subject to religious authority. Clearly we need a much more inclusive conversation about religion and reproduction.

Rush Limbaugh’s limp quasi-apology to Sandra Fluke isn’t good enough. Clear Channel Communications, the largest radio station owner in the US, should fire him and establish a precedent whereby media commentators understand that misogynistic language and attitudes are unacceptable and career-ending.

Rush Limbaugh “apologizes” for his tirades against Sandra Fluke by suggesting that the only real problem is that he didn’t use better euphemisms when accusing 99 percent of American women of being sexually deviant because they use contraception.

Women of color experience much higher unintended pregnancy rates than their white counterparts. As a group they also suffer higher rates of chronic diseases, including pregnancy-related conditions, which can be prevented with consistent use of contraceptives. The new regulation guaranteeing access to contraception without a co-pay will help greatly with these and other health issues.

What I want to know is, where are the women? I look at this panel, and I don’t see one single individual representing the tens of millions of women across the country who want and need insurance coverage for basic preventive health care services, including family planning.